Houston Rockets Eliminated From In-Season Tournament with Loss to Dallas Mavericks

The Houston Rockets' first In-Season Tournament ended amid a heartbreaking loss to the Mavericks.

Coach Ime Udoka understood the importance of Tuesday night's In-Season Tournament game against the Dallas Mavericks. But instead of focusing on advancing to the quarterfinals, Udoka's top priority was to lead the Houston Rockets to their first road victory of the 2023-24 season. 

Unfortunately, Udoka and the Rockets are still searching for their first road win following a 121-115 loss to the Mavericks inside the American Airlines Center. Houston's road losing streak has extended to six.

Alperen Şengün led Houston with 31 points on 10 of 19 shooting, nine rebounds and six assists. Dillon Brooks added 16 points before fouling out with 2:28 left in the fourth quarter.

The Rockets struggled out of the gates, and the slow start led to a 14-point deficit at the 4:34 mark of the second quarter. 

Luka Dončić played a significant role in Houston's first-half struggles. He scored 18 of his game-high 41 points during the first two periods. But despite his first-half dominance, the Rockets were able to find their momentum toward the end of the second period.

Houston battled back to cut the Mavericks halftime lead to four (54-50). The momentum carried into the third, where the Rockets held an 84-80 lead entering the fourth quarter.

The Mavericks regained control by outscoring the Rockets 33-24 in the fourth quarter. Kyrie Irving scored 10 of his 27 points during the final period. In addition to his 41 points, Dončić also recorded nine rebounds and nine assists. 

Jabari Smith Jr. finished the game with 16 points and nine rebounds. Fred VanVleet added a double-double of 10 points and a dozen assists.

Rockets center Alperen Sengun looks to move to the basket past Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) and center Dereck Lively II (2) during the second quarter at the American Airlines Center / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

In-Season Tournament update:

The In-Season Tournament has come to a disappointing end following the Rockets' loss to the Mavericks. With the loss, the Rockets finished their In-Season Tournament group play with a 2-2 record. The New Orleans Pelicans (3-1) are advancing as the winners of Group B West.

Up Next:

The Rockets will continue their three-game road trip Wednesday night against the Denver Nuggets. The game will mark Houston's second back-to-back of the season. They will close their road trip Saturday night against the Los Angeles Lakers. Tip-off between the Rockets and Nuggets is slated for 8:00 p.m. CDT.

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